


Trying to Relax

by saltylikecrait



Series: Brightest Stars Quartet [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Bathing/Washing, F/M, Partial Nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-09-29 15:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17206391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltylikecrait/pseuds/saltylikecrait
Summary: A short extra fromThe Brightest StarsAU. Finn tries to learn how to relax. It isn't going well.





	Trying to Relax

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Finnrey Friday! For the first post of the year, I am adding a short scene that had to be cut out of _A Glint of Light on Broken Glass._

It seemed silly to him that he had to look up something that seemed so simple, but the First Order never gave stormtroopers luxuries like bathtubs and downtime. He knew those were things that officers sometimes got and maybe if he had stuck around, Finn would have got those things for himself, but he rather be here with the Resistance than back there.

So when his heart started to race for almost no reason other than that he dropped one of the Resistance’s blasters in the artillery closet in front of the Duros that managed everything when giving Finn a tour, he found that he was desperate to make it stop and remembered that General Organa had told him that he and Rey were welcome to use one of the few bathtubs they had if they were in need of a soak. It sounded like a good idea, but in reality, Finn felt overwhelmed over how to figure out what the right temperature was and how much of the salt from the bags under the sink should be added. It created a new for him that he might mess up and burn himself on accident or that he’d add too much salt and dry up his skin. Surely, this shouldn’t be stressful?

He looked up how warm a bath should be on a datapad he had acquired from the Resistance, poured in the bath salts, and made sure that the towel was close enough for him to reach when he wanted to get out. Then, after disrobing, he dipped his feet into the bath and slipped in, trying to figure out how this relaxation stuff worked.

And yet, try as he might, the stress lingered, tugging at his heart and threatening to never let go. He kept telling himself that he was fine, but the idea that he might have been imperfect terrified him.

Then to make matters worse, there came a knock on the bathroom door.

“Finn?”

It was Rey. He wondered if she found him with the Force.

“It’s unlocked,” he told her.

Upon opening the door, Rey squeaked at the sight of his state and backed out, keeping the door cracked. “Sorry,” she said. “I thought- I can leave.”

Oddly, he didn’t mind that she saw him like this, and he realized that this meant that he trusted her to see him even at his most vulnerable. But she was embarrassed and he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable. “Sorry,” he repeated her. “I wasn’t thinking. I don’t mind you seeing…” He paused, suddenly growing embarrassed for himself. “Well, if you’re uncomfortable, I don’t want you to feel like you have to come in.”

Peaking her head halfway inside the bathroom, Rey looked in but did not step in. She looked unsure. “Sorry,” she said again. “I felt… well, I sensed there was something wrong and came looking for you.”

Sighing because, _of course,_ Finn realized that he couldn’t try to hide this from her. For one, she knew him well enough to know when something was up, and two, the Force would make sure that she knew that something was up. It seemed like a very handy thing to have, the Force, like a sort of emotion meter.

“Well, I’m not feeling… great,” he admitted. “Kind of stupid really.” Talking about it made his heart race again. He seriously felt like he was about to be sick.

Nodding, Rey stepped inside and shut the door behind her. There was a slight awkwardness to her trying to figure out where to look, but Finn found again that he didn’t mind. Just having her near made him feel a bit better.

“I can sense a sort of fear in you,” she said.

He took a deep breath. “I hate this. Even when I tell myself that it’s not a big deal, I keep feeling like the galaxy is about to fall apart.” It was an awful feeling. His brain might be logical, but his body seemed to be ignoring it. “And I can’t figure out how this relaxing thing works. It’s making it worst.”

“Is there anything that I can do?” Rey’s voice was quiet, almost if she was uncertain how to help him.

Finn paused. “You being here helps.”

Staring at the water in the tub, Rey looked unsure again.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a bath,” she said, almost wistfully.

Hesitant, Finn took a breath. “Do you want to join me?”

There was another moment when neither of them said anything, Rey’s answer hanging in the air.

Then, she removed the vest that the Resistance had given her, allowing it to drop to the floor as she pulled the black tank top that she had worn under her old attire over her head, revealing pale skin to Finn.

He had no idea she had so many scars on her body. The last time he had seen the skin of her abdomen, it had been covered with large red splotches that had hidden them from his view. Trying not to stare at the scars and the rest of her body as she undressed, Finn opted to look at her clothes on the floor. He didn’t allow himself to look at her until he felt her settle in the tub across from him.

She kept her knees close to her chest but didn’t look uncomfortable with the situation. It felt like they were taking another step in their relationship, but they were making sure each step was small.

“So, I’m not sure how this relaxing thing works either,” she admitted with a small grin.

“I’m sure we can figure it out,” he said.

It turned out, they were really, really bad at relaxing.


End file.
